Academic Integrity & Tech Security
Academic Integrity & Tech Security
Executive Summary
This research project details the diagnosis and resolution of testing vulnerabilities identified in my first year of teaching that completely compromised the validity of assessments for all students I taught. By leveraging my previous engineering experience, I worked with district IT to pilot, validate, and scale the Illuminate DNA LockDown Browser district-wide to eliminate testing vulnerabilities and student-used exploits.
The Challenge: Unauthorized multi-desktop browser navigation and district unmanaged VPN applications overriding network browsing settings, obfuscating student mastery of material.
The Solution: Worked with district IT to implement domain policies to close known vulnerabilities and to create a pilot beta environment within the middle school to test the Illuminate DNA LockDown Browser for student testing.
The Impact: Restored complete integrity and validity of classroom testing for all teachers across the district, protecting the merit-based learning environment for all students.
Executive Summary
This research project details my efforts to optimize instructional pacing and eliminate passive learning in the secondary mathematics classroom. By implementing a social constructivist framework based on several aspects of Dr. Peter Liljedahl's book, "Building Thinking Classrooms", I restructured the delivery of the Illustrative Mathematics curriculum to support student-led inquiry and classroom accountability.
The Challenge: When I first started, there was a rigid, lecture-heavy delivery model with a very traditional seating arrangement. The dependence created a high cognitive load for students, leading to significant downtime and passive reliance on the teacher.
The Solution: Integrated Peter Liljedahl’s Building Thinking Classrooms framework by using visibly randomized groups. They worked on vertical non-permanent surfaces and in groups of three at desks.
The Impact: Established a collaborative environment where students worked together, learned from each other, minimized cognitive load, and took personal ownership of their academic outcomes.